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Government of Canada Takes Action on an Additional Four Substances Assessed Under Canada's World-Leading Chemicals Management Plan

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 6, 2009) - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, and Canada's Environment Minister, the Honourable Jim Prentice, today announced the release of the final screening assessment reports and proposed risk management approaches for 19 substances included in Batch 3 on the Government's chemicals management website.

"This is an important step towards further protecting the health of Canadians and our environment," said Minister Aglukkaq. "Our government is taking action to reduce Canadians' exposure to substances of concern and to put in place new assessments for substances that could be harmful if widely used."

"We have considered all information submitted by industry, academics and non-governmental organizations," added Minister Prentice. "We will continue to work with stakeholders so that chemical substances are managed safely and responsibly in Canada."

Of the 19 substances assessed in Batch 3, the following four are of concern to human health: 2-(2-Methoxyethoxy) ethanol (DEGME); 2-Methoxyethanol acetate (2-MEA); 2-methoxy-1-propanol; and C.I. Pigment Red 3. These substances are not a concern to the environment. The Government is proposing a number of risk management options to reduce Canadians' exposure to these substances.

An additional four substances pose no immediate risks to human health or the environment but have properties that could be harmful if they were widely used. Significant New Activity provisions are being proposed for Disperse Blue 19, PDDAM, Pigment Red 251 given they could be harmful to the environment and for 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate which could be of concern to human health. This will prevent these substances from being used in the future without undergoing a new series of assessments.

The remaining 11 substances in Batch 3 do not pose a risk to human health or the environment.

Notices containing summaries of the final screening assessment reports will be published in Canada Gazette, Part I on March 7, 2009. Publication of the notices in Canada Gazette, Part I will be followed by a 60-day public comment period. The complete final screening assessments as well as proposed risk management documents for all Batch 3 substances can be found on the Chemicals Management Plan website (http://www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/challenge-defi/batch-lot_3_e.html). Interested parties can submit comments on these documents until May 6, 2009

The Government of Canada is committed to meeting the five-year timeline that was announced in 2006 for completion of work under the Chemicals Management Plan. Batch review dates will be updated regularly on the department's website.